2014 anthology

Transcription

2014 anthology

Children
writing to grow
smart
Contents
ISBN 9781415448199
40 Heerengracht, Cape Town, 8001
PO Box 5197, Cape Town, 8000
www.viaafrika.com
First edition 2104
First impression: 2014
© All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, or any information storage and retrieval
system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Every effort has been made to obtain copyright of all printed
extracts in this book. However, if we have unwittingly used material
requiring copyright, we request the copyright holder to bring the
matter to our attention so we can make the acknowledgements.
Cover illustrations by Ju-ché Arendse, Andrea Fritz,
Hakeema Matinka, Zethu Ndleleni,
Nikita Robinson, Zuhairah Safodien
Printed and bound by Paarl Media, Jan van
Riebeeck Avenue, Paarl, South Africa
8
A message from Growthpoint
9
A message from the Western Cape Education Department
10
A message from Via Afrika
11
A message from Paarl Media
14
Hakeema Matinka • The most influential person in my life
22
Shawn Sithole • A memorable experience at the Kruger National Park
28
Cassidy A. Abrahams • The princess and prince
34
Firdaus Salie • My amazing miracle holiday in Seychelles
42
Shane Sobotker • 20 years into Democracy
48
Ayesha Ariefdien • A memorable experience
56
Thato Mpapa • A memorable experience
62
Nikita Robinson • A memorable experience
68
Zethu Ndleleni • A visit to the museum
76
Aakifah Dantie • My biggest fear I ever overcame
80
Andrea Fritz • An inspirational person
86
Zuhairah Safodien • How my brother died
92
Ju-ché Arendse • One night alone
96
Megan Steyn • Shirley’s secret
108 Michaela Esau • When grandma died …
118 Kyle Ruiters • The odds of a single parent
124 Jesse Nyman • Spy Mission
128 Toufeeq Benjamin • The jungle chase
136 Sabeehah Mullins • The old man – memorable experience
140 Chanelle de Kock • Young and lost!
6 • CHILDREN WRITING TO GROW SMART
CHILDREN WRITING TO GROW SMART • 7
A message from Growthpoint
“Is there anybody going to listen to my story?”
From Girl by John Lennon and Paul McCartney
The one thing we all have in common is that each of us has a
story to tell. Our stories are as individual as our genes and they
yearn to be shared regardless of our skill with a pen. Sometimes
all we need is a mouth to speak and an ear to listen. In this book
you will experience something beyond the conventions of
grammar; you will hear from children as they share tales from
their vivid imagination, their personal experiences, their hopes,
their deep joy and sorrow.
The stories in this book were selected from nearly 200
submissions received for the Growsmart Story Telling
Competition in 2014. They were all written by learners in Grades
4 to 6, most of whom come from previously disadvantaged
communities in the Cape Town area and some for whom English
is not their first language. This book celebrates these young
authors and is in line with so many of Growthpoint’s values,
amongst them being that our people are our most important
asset. May they continue to enrich our rainbow nation’s
remarkable tradition of storytelling fuelled by our wonderful
diversity of cultures, shared challenges and struggles, and
enduring hopes and dreams.
A message from the Western
Cape Education Department
Writing is a magical medium. It is a vehicle for communication,
connection and creativity with the self and the world. It is an
opportunity to learn and grow, have fun and hone the intellect.
Being able to express yourself is a skill and a gift. By cultivating
this ability in children, you are giving them the priceless
power to share their thoughts and ideas with the world in a
meaningful way.
On behalf of the Western Cape Education Department, we
thank Growthpoint for inviting learners to compete at creative
writing. The learners who submitted their stories in this diverse
anthology come from primary schools across the City of Cape
Town. We commend these schools for embracing the challenge
to improve their language performance.
The competition has unearthed some sparkling gems from
imaginative young authors. The creations are varied and
vivid. They describe trauma, loss and coping. They reflect joy,
happiness and memorable experiences.
May this collection inspire other children and their teachers to
write and develop the passion for storytelling in written form.
Brian Schreuder
Deputy Director-General: Curriculum and Assessment Management
Norbert Sasse
CEO
A message from Via Afrika
A message from Paarl Media
At Via Afrika, we most often have the chance to work with
educational texts that serve to enable teachers and learners
to discover the joys of education. It is our task to team up with
the authors, editors, illustrators, book designers, typesetters
and printers to craft one person’s vision into a living object that
benefits hundreds, even thousands, of others.
The Paarl Media Group is proud to be associated with the
Growsmart project through printing this remarkable book.
Paarl Media supports the education of our nation’s learners,
where writing skills form the foundation. Well done to all the
participants and winners of this competition; you have done
South Africa proud.
It has therefore been our privilege to work with Growthpoint,
the WCED and these talented writers to publish this anthology
of experience and imagination. We were presented with stories
that moved or delighted; artwork that showed aptitude and
insight; and a passion that invigorated us in our tasks – quite
an achievement for a group of people with many years of
experience in the educational book industry. We look forward to
being able to participate in further projects of this worth.
Christina Watson
CEO
The most influential
person in my life
Hakeema Matinka
Silversands Primary
Grade 6
11 years old
Can you guess who’s the most
influential person in my life? In this
story I tell you how she was raised
and how she raises us. How she
cares for us and motivates us to be
successful in life.
Dedicated to Mornic.
Background
My mother, Mornic, is the youngest of four children. She
was born in 1985 in Cape Town, Happy-Valley and lived
there for 20 years.
Life was good for my mom. She didn’t struggle at all
because her parents worked for the benefit of her future.
That is what she does for us as a single mother. She
provides us with our basic needs, e.g. clothing, education,
housing and other important things we need every day.
Mom dropped out of school when she was in Grade 10,
after falling pregnant at the age of 16. She gave birth to me
at the age of 17 on the 23rd of August. I am my mother’s
birthday present because I was born after her birthday.
Things haven’t changed for her having a burning desire to
have education, although her freedom as a teenager was
cut short. So… my mom applied at an Intuition College
where she also received a certificate for Introduction to
Personal Computing.
Although mom struggled to support herself
financially, she received two certificates
because she was a hard worker, determined
and committed.
Mom stopped studying when we moved to Durban in
2010 with my father. We lived in Smartiesvile in Ladismith
near Durban. She had a job at OK supermarket in 2010,
where she worked as a cashier. We stayed until June and
my mom and dad divorced. They had problems in their
personal life. I did not interfere but I was curious. We
moved back to Cape Town, leaving my dad behind. Mom
had a job at the school I attend, Silversands Primary School.
She did computer work and was a librarian. She left her job
a few months later.
Interests and hobbies
My mom attended Blackheath Primary and Blackheath
High School. She participated in soccer. She was also a
member of the scholar patrol at Blackheath Primary. In
primary school Mrs Esterhuizen, our deputy principal, used
to teach them how to knit and do arts. Mom always loved
doing schoolwork. Mom loves to think about others and
always has exhaustible funny stories to tell us. Mom has
always been interested in computer skills and banking and
financial management. My mother also used to play netball
in primary school. She also used to help at the tuckshop or
library. Mom is very authentic, meaning she really shows
her true colours and doesn’t hide her real personality. Mom
has an affinity when listening to our problems and helps
us. She also likes to do casual work.
The caring mother
This is my mother… the caring one. She supports my
grandma financially. She is always good-humoured, but
sometimes gets very angry, but not for long. She makes
sure our basic needs are met. Her children and her future
is her first priority. To me my mom is persistent. She
persists in caring for us. I love her very much. I am so
thankful God made these wonderful beings on Earth
and let them be our mothers. She never lets us go to bed
hungry and makes a plan. She even goes to borrow money
to fill our tummies.
I try to make her proud every day and my sister Lateefah
and I get diplomas every year and we are top achievers in
school. She wants us to become better in life and achieve
success. She always says to us “Never walk closed eyes
through life.” I have a reliance on my mother and wouldn’t
survive without her love and wisdom.
I can still remember the 17th of February 2013. Our house
burnt down. We lived at the back of my grandma’s house.
I knew that my mom’s heart was full of pain, but she just
put on a brave face. At that time I admired her because
she tried to be brave and have courage, even though she
was down. She is like a super-mom to me. Ready to save us
from sadness, hunger and discomfort. She is special to me.
Although I have been through difficult times, you were a
pillar of strength to me. You taught me how to overcome
my challenges and to be positive and be focused in
whatever I want to do in life. I have learnt that in life one
can reach one’s dreams despite any problem and for that
I am gratefully thankful to you, Mornic. You made the best
of me and I will live out the values you taught me. I have
the realisation of success ahead of me and so many things I
can do to become successful one day because of my mom
who supports my hopes and dreams.
“The famous Nelson Mandela said that education is the
most powerful weapon with which you can change the
world, Hakeema,” said my mom to me once. A good heart
and a good head are always a formidable combination,
but when you add to it a literate tongue or pen, then you
have something special. That is why my sister and I want to
make my mother proud…
A memorable experience at
the Kruger National Park
Shawn Sithole
Delft Primary
Grade 5
12 years old
To see a predator attacking
another predator (two of the big
five) without fear, seeing how a
predator attacks its prey, how the
hunters have a strategy to hunt
and how the hunted have a way
to survive, was an experience of a
lifetime.
T
he night prior to our journey to the Kruger National
Park felt so long and I could hardly sleep. I was so
excited to see the big five, that is: the elephant, the rhino,
the leopard, the buffalo and especially the lion. When we
arrived there, we got on the Land Rover with one tour
guide and a driver. The guide had a rifle just in case some
animals got violent, so that he could protect us. As we
drove, the animals’ eyes glittered as they were torched by
the lights of the Land Rover.
The Land Rover had a big light that could flash to a
distance of 100–150 m so that we could see the animals.
It’s so nice at night, because the hunters, like lions and
cheetahs, are very busy. We saw a lion fighting to
drop a zebra to the ground as it held tight
onto its throat. The zebra struggled to
get out of the lion’s grip, but in vain.
Eventually it gave up and fell down to the
ground.
The tour guide said: “The lion aims at
the neck so that it can crush the wind
pipe on the throat, because if it
attacks at the back, the zebra might
kick it to death. So when these animals are hunting, they
also have a strategy to kill, and the zebra and some other
hunted animals also have a way to survive.”
It’s very tough in the jungle, because after killing a meal,
the intruders quickly come to the party – that’s the hyenas
and vultures – and it becomes a big fight over the meal.
At times the lion gives up, because the hyenas come in
big numbers and tear their prey into pieces. At night the
animals can see just as good as during the day. Snakes
are a major concern in the park, because at night you
can’t see them.
At the dam we saw zebras, antelopes, hippos, and even
crocodiles. Everything was so peaceful in the early morning
sun – only the sounds of the wild animals could be heard.
While the animals were drinking water, they were looking
around all the time, because they are always well aware
of the crocodiles, lions and leopards that lie well hidden,
waiting to pounce on them. In the distance, I could also
see three tall giraffes watching and peering over the tops
of the Acacia trees, in fear of the enemy.
A crocodile was hiding in the water while it approached its
prey (a zebra). The tour guide said: “A crocodile doesn’t kill
its prey by biting it. It pulls its prey to drown in the water
and tears it apart. A crocodile’s teeth are also not built to
chew, but to crush bones.” We saw the crocodile moving in
on the zebras. Suddenly it attacked its victim. That was an
incredible thing to see. We moved on and then we saw a
herd of elephants. The tour guide said: “If an elephant dies
in the herd, they mourn like us humans.”
We moved on and then we heard this strange laughing
sound and decided to check it out. It was a hyena, busy
eating a springbok alive. The tour guide said: “A hyena’s
teeth and jaws are powerful enough to crush bones.”
We were getting tired and decided to go back. On our way
back we saw a massive buffalo wrestling with a lion. Dad
said: “Quickly bring the camera”. He started making a video.
Suddenly the buffalo tore the lion’s tummy with its two
sharp horns. Eventually the lion died and it was such an
amazing and unbelievable thing to see two of the big five
going head to head. After a long and adventurous day, we
went back to the campsite.
This is an experience I will never forget.
The princess and prince
Cassidy A. Abrahams
Delft Primary
Grade 5
11 years old
The evil Queen (Miranda) has
done an evil thing and has left a
spell upon the princess (Aurora).
The prince (James) has a damsel
in distress to save. What will he do
now? Find out more...
O
ne morning they handed out forms at school. The
form read that we were going to Artscape to see
Swan Lake. I was sad to hear that not all my classmates
could go with. Our teacher told us to put in luxuries. The
day finally arrived. We left at nine o’clock. I felt very excited
and oh so anxious to get there!
When we arrived, I was so surprised to see how beautiful
it looked inside. There were high walls and bright, shiny
chandeliers. When we were seated the lights went off and
only the stage lit up. The music began to play and at the
same time four ballerinas came out dancing on the tip of
their toes. They were so elegant! Their feet worked together
and they did everything simultaneously. Suddenly we
heard a sound. Bang!!! There was a tree in the middle of
the stage and smoke appeared. Everyone was at the
edge of their seats. “What was going to
happen next?” they all wanted to know.
An evil Queen (Miranda) appeared out
of the tree and scared the ballerinas
away. Although Miranda was dressed in
black, her dress sparkled because of the
glitter on it. The princess (Aurora) came
out. It looked like she was picking flowers, when all
of a sudden Miranda approached her and gave her a flower
to smell. As soon as Aurora smelled the flower, she fainted.
Miranda left laughing with joy.
Suddenly the prince (James) appeared. He saw Aurora lying
on the floor. He listened to her heartbeat and held her in
his arms. He knew that she was dead. He looked very sad.
The four ballerinas came out again. One of them whispered
in his ear and James kissed Aurora. She had woken up so
James hugged her so tightly and the curse was broken.
Four small ballerinas came out dressed as fairies. One of
them gave Aurora a bunch of flowers. Behind them a castle
appeared. James picked Aurora up in his arms and they
got married. There was peace throughout the land and the
evil Miranda was furious. The fairies sprinkled their dust on
Miranda and she turned to stone.
Everyone celebrated and they started dancing together.
James and Aurora held hands, ran to the front of the stage
and took a bow. Everyone applauded and the curtains
came down. Before the show started a lady appeared in
the corner of the stage. She told us what was going to
happen in the story.
That was the experience I will never forget.
The end.
My amazing miracle
holiday in Seychelles
Firdaus Salie
Strand Moslem Primary
Grade 5
11 years
I am Firdaus Salie and I am the
author of this book. In my story
you will find out what luck we had
to be able to go, you will find out
my flight experience, the good and
the bad parts. You will also find
out what I did in Seychelles, what
I ate, saw and enjoyed. I hope you
reader will find it interesting and
enjoy it!
Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
The beginning of a hidden miracle
Departure day
We have landed in Seychelles!
What we did in Seychelles
Our last day
Time to go home!
Chapter 1 • The beginning of a
hidden miracle
We’ve just arrived at home (my father and I) and I’m
planning to watch some TV. Just before I can get out of the
car I start listening to this game show called Rapid Fire on
567 Cape Talk Radio Station. The show works like this: Every
day from Monday to Friday at about 17:20 pm Rapid Fire,
hosted by radio presenter John Maytham runs on 567 Cape
Talk Radio Station. Each day people call in and two people
are selected to play. Each player has a chance to ask John
and his colleagues an interesting question, the studio team
will try to answer the question and if they can’t they will
Google it. The player with the most interesting questions
wins the game. They receive a prize like a lunch for two at
a famous restaurant or cash or tickets to a cricket match or
rugby match.
Well, today my daddy decided to call in for the
competition. He called, it failed. He called, it failed, he tried
again and he was chosen. We were excited that my daddy
was on the radio. I remember his question was: “Which
freshwater farm fish’s skin is used to make leather?”The
presenters guessed, some said salmon, trout, catfish but
nobody could guess the correct answer. The answer was
the “Talapia Fish”. My daddy won that night because the
presenters thought his question was the most interesting.
He received a R100 voucher as a prize.
He was very lucky because the 4 winners of that week
would be playing against each other on Friday 10 May
2013 to win a grand prize: A trip to the amazing island
of Seychelles. Everyone in the family was excited for my
daddy to win this competition. Some of my family were
on their way to Langebaan for our annual camp weekend.
We did not go that year. They were listening to my daddy
on the radio. My daddy’s question was: “John, if you
were to grow some potatoes in your garden (let’s say
a friend gave you a few aartappel moere), you let the
plant flower, and then leave it to fruit. What kind of
fruit will it produce?” The presenters guessed and
guessed but gave up. My father told them the
answer and they were stunned. The answer was “a
tomato like fruit” but do not eat it. It is totally not
edible. I remember the presenters’ word: “And the winner
is… Khalid Salie!” We were overjoyed, all screaming and
shouting, so excited. My dad could not believe he won, it
was a dream come true.
Chapter 2 • Departure day
It’s departure day! It’s 3:00 am and it is EXTREMELY COLD!
Our tracksuits were laid out on our beds ready to put on.
We got dressed, got our luggage and off we went. I was
feeling so anxious all the way to the airport. We have
stopped at the airport and we greeted our family and went
inside. We got to check-in and our bags went through
machines and wow the airport that morning was packed.
It was just people, people and more people everywhere.
We boarded a bus that took us to our aeroplane. We then
boarded the plane and we were served breakfast. I did not
enjoy the flight because we sat in the very last row of the
plane. It felt as if we were dangling from the aeroplane and
the breakfast made me nauseous. Well finally we landed
in Johannesburg at O.R. Tambo International Airport. We
walked to the food court and bought some Nandos’ chips.
(My sisters and I did not eat breakfast). It’s time to board
Air Seychelles! We boarded Air Seychelles and were on
our way there. It was the best flight ever! The food was
delicious! I watched a lot of movies like Bolt and High
School Musical. We landed in Seychelles! I cannot believe
the flight was that quick. As they say: Time flies when
you’re having fun!
It became closer and closer to the expiry date of the trip.
My daddy teased and teased that we were not going with
him and my mom to Seychelles. Then the Friday before we
were actually leaving, my daddy took our tickets out of his
jacket pocket. We were stunned, excited and speechless.
We couldn’t wait to go!
Chapter 3 • We have landed in Seychelles!
We have landed in Seychelles! The Airport is beautiful and
boy it is Hot! We are on our way to the resort. I can’t wait
to call my family but wait I forgot I can’t. We’ve entered the
resort and it is amazing! It is so beautiful and luxurious!
Each house comes with a club car to ride around the
resort. Our apartment was beautiful. It had 3 bedrooms,
3 bathrooms and a lovely patio! It is fully air conditioned,
thankfully! The resort has 2 pool areas and pools and
4 private made beaches. It has a shop called Foodmart
in the Eden Plaza (it is actually a Spar supermarket). It is
Friday and we ate our first breakfast in Seychelles. We just
lay in our rooms settling in and packing out. We had some
lunch and went to explore the resort and check out the
pools and beaches. We went for a swim at the club house
pool then we swam at the hideaway pool (we called it that
because not many people go and swim there and it was
hidden in the trees). We went to the Plaza and got some
groceries. One thing not so nice for Muslims is that there
is not a single halaal takeout or restaurant on the whole
island. The next two days were the same: My sisters and I
did not want to leave our resort, it was too relaxing.
Chapter 4 • What we did in Seychelles
It’s Monday and we have hired a car to roam the island.
We kind of at first got lost. Then we found the mosque.
We drove up and down hills and all over Seychelles. We
went to a stall and bought a coconut then my daddy also
bought a tuna fish. We went back home and watched TV.
The next day we woke up early and went to play tennis
then we got washed and ready to go to the craft flea
market. We bought some T-shirts, scarves and bags. We
returned home and went to swim! We went to the beach
called Anse Benitier and just so you know the beaches over
there’s seawater is SALTY!
Chapter 5 • Our last day
Chapter 6 • Time to go home!
Today is our last day in Seychelles. At the same time, I was
feeling sad and happy. We dressed, had some breakfast and
went to swim at the hideaway pool. I remember messing
with chips in the pool. Then we went to the beach and we
collected a huge amount of seashells. There were so many
different kinds. My father still said: “You are taking too many
shells. They won’t let you take that many home. There
won’t be any left for anyone else.” We laughed. After that
we went home and washed and sealed the
bag of shells. But boy was the bag HEAVY!
It’s Thursday. I woke up and immediately I was not feeling
well. But anyway I carried on and it’s time to go. We
checked and double checked everything. Off we were. Bye
Seychelles! We arrived at the airport and I’m still feeling
sick. My family decided to go to the shop but I stayed
sitting at the gates. I took some medication and felt much
better. I also took a nap. I ate such a delicious raisin muffin
with jam and butter. We’re in SA! We departed the plane,
and checked our luggage in again. Then we went to the
SLOW LOUNGE. It’s so cold there! You can eat anything
by not paying. (FNB payers can go there.) There was lots
to drink like coffee, tea, cold drinks, juices, grapetiser and
appletiser. There was lots to eat. There was a selection of
cheeses, chicken wraps, crackers, sandwiches, red, blue,
green velvet mini cupcakes, muffins and pastries.
Then we went and took our last swim in
Seychelles, at the clubhouse pool. There we
met a girl, her name is Danyella, she also lives in
South Africa, she lives in Benoni. Her father is from South
Africa and her mother is Russian. She speaks fluent English
and Russian but she is only 4 years old. Finally we went
to play some tennis. My sister Rahma fell and hurt her
knee badly. But she is a tough tot so it was not the end of
the world. We went back to the apartment and got our
luggage ready to go.
So now it is time to go home. We boarded the plane and
we were seated in Business Class. It is so comfortable. We
had delicious chicken burgers to eat. We have landed in
Cape Town. We’re home! We got our luggage and there
was our family waiting for us. We went home and had
Breyani for lunch at my grandmother’s house. Oh well
that’s my story of my experience in SEYCHELLES!!
20 years into Democracy
Shane Sobotker
Silversands Primary
Grade 6
11 years old
This story is about Jason
who wants to learn about
democracy. His grandma
tells him how democracy has
benefited people today.
Voting day
On 7 May 2014 Jason’s grandmother was getting herself
ready to go to a voting booth to cast her vote. When
Jason (9) asked his grandmother (51) where she was
going, she replied that she was going to vote because she
wanted South Africa to stay a democratic country. Jason
looked curiously at his grandmother and asked, “What is a
democratic country?”
His grandmother explained, “A democratic
country is a country which is lead
by democracy.”
Jason asked again, “What is democracy?”
She explained, “Democracy is a system of
government in which people choose their
leaders in elections. But it is much more than
that...”
Jason went with his grandmother to
the voting booth.
He watched the long process that she had to go through
just to vote. He got very bored. At last his grandmother
was done voting.
He asked his grandmother, “How did you feel when you
voted for the first time?”
She replied, “Jason, I am too tired to talk now, but I will
explain when we get home.”
Jason learns more about democracy
When they got home, Jason nagged his grandmother to
tell him about democracy. She agreed but first sent him
to buy milk and bread. He saw his friends on the way and
told them his grandmother was going to tell him more
about democracy. They asked if they could also come and
listen to his grandmother. He replied, “Yes, I am sure my
grandmother won’t mind.” They were so happy to hear
Jason’s answer.
They went with Jason and sat in a semi-circle around his
grandmother. They listened as she started excitedly.
Democracy requires both the government and the people
to follow certain rules, and every citizen who lives in the
country has rights and freedom, but every citizen must
obey the laws of the country.
Jason is more curious
He asked his grandma, “Gogo, is it ok if I asked you
questions about democracy and how you felt?”
She replied, “Ok, you may.”
He asked her, then she would reply, “How did you feel
when you voted for the first time?”
She replied, “I felt happy again.” He asked again, “Have you
benefited from democracy?” She replied, “Yes, I have, but
not only me, all the blacks and coloureds have benefited
from democracy.”
“How have you benefited from democracy?” He asked
her, then she replied, “We were unable to live in the same
area as whites during apartheid, but we can do things
nowadays that whites do.”
Jason’s grandma told him with a smile on her face, “You
know Jason, the youth of South Africa has a better future
with more job opportunities, primary and high school
selections, so you won’t have to drop out of school,
because you get a free education.”
Jason asked his grandma, “Gogo, is it true that people get
jobs easily nowadays?” She replied, “Yes, it is Jason.”
“Why are whites and coloureds friends?” he asked her, then
she answered, “All people are treated equally now: whites,
coloureds, blacks, Indians, Muslims, etc.”
She replied, “No, the government cannot do whatever it
likes. It has to respect the Constitution and the rights of the
country’s citizens.”
Jason then asked, “Grandma, could I become a scientist
during apartheid?”
Jason and his friends felt very lucky because they didn’t
have to experience apartheid. Jason felt lucky indeed,
but he was also sad for her because she went through
apartheid. He walked up to her and told her, “I am sorry you
had to go through apartheid, but I promise to give my best
and enjoy life.”
She replied, “No, only whites were allowed to get jobs
such as prosecutors, scientists and senior positions in
certain jobs.”
“Yoh!” They all shouted out together looking astonished,
they were also very excited and interested. One of Jason’s
friends, Watson, asked his grandma, “Can the government
change things as they please?”
She replied with tears in her eyes, “Thank you, that is all
I need from you.” Jason always did his best from that day on.
The end.
A memorable experience
Ayesha Ariefdien
Norma Road Primary
Grade 6
11 years old
This is a story of two best friends
who work together to set traps for
some robbers. The robbers came
and broke in. They tied Alicia and
her family up. Then another robber
came in and also tried to steal.
What will happen next?
O
ne Friday night I was on my way to visit my best
friend Alicia. I was very excited because we had been
looking forward to it for a long time. When I got there,
there were two suspicious men outside her house.
I kept on walking making sure they didn’t see me looking
at them. When I came back from the shop the two strange
men had left Alicia’s house and were missing.
Then I went around the corner and came back to
Alicia’s house. I looked around Alicia’s house, I searched
everywhere but I couldn’t find the two suspicious men.
So I heard voices in an alley. I followed the voices and it had
led me to the men I had been searching for. I heard what
they had been talking about.
I actually found out they were house robbers and were
planning to rob Alicia’s house. They were talking about
what they were going to steal.
So when the two robbers went into another room I
grabbed their planning sheet and ran as fast as I could.
When I got home I read the planning sheet.
I went to Alicia’s house the next day to give her the
planning sheet. She asked what it was. I explained to her
what had happened.
She didn’t seem surprised when I had finished explaining.
She said that there were many break-ins at her house
during the past year.
So we made our own plans. I helped her with the traps we
had to set. I told her how everything worked. I also told her
where to walk and where not to.
We sat up till 11 ’o clock that night fixing traps. I went
home at 12 ’o clock. I went straight to bed and set my
alarm for 5 A.M.
The next morning I got up at 5 A.M. I took a shower
and got ready to go to Alicia’s house. On the way I saw
the window broken at Alicia’s house. I knew something
happened.
I went closer to the house to have a better look. I went
to have a look through the broken window. I saw Alicia’s
mom, dad, 2 brothers and herself sitting in a room.
They all had blindfolds on and their hands were tied
behind their backs. Just then one of the robbers came in.
I just then recognised him. He was one of the men I saw at
Alicia’s house.
Then the other robber came in. They knew where all the
traps had been set. They both knew exactly what to do in
the house. They might have been spying on us while we
were busy working on the traps.
Then they both took Alicia’s parents into another room. I
then quietly opened the door. I walked in quietly and went
to take the blindfolds off Alicia and her brothers.
Alicia told me what had happened. Then another robber
came in. He didn’t know there were other robbers in the
house. He didn’t even notice us.
Then I thought the robber must be blind. The thing that
gave that away was the sunglasses and the guiding stick.
I then put my foot out and tripped him.
The other robbers who were there first came in to see what
all the commotion was. The first robber saw me and told
me to step away from his victims.
I told the robber I wouldn’t tell anyone if he let us all go
free. He said he wouldn’t take that chance. I tried to escape
but the other robber held a gun in my face.
The next thing I knew I was also tied up. I told Alicia that
I would move behind her back and would try to untie the
rope around her hands.
We did this for a very long time. The first robber came back.
He asked the other robber if he should start shooting but
he didn’t get an answer.
They said that the robbers were two of the most wanted
men in South Africa. They also said they were offering a
reward to the person who caught them
I asked what type of reward and they said they were going
to give away R100 000. I said I would keep the money and
the robbers.
The officer asked why, so I told them they would give a
reward to the person who caught the robbers and I caught
them so they couldn’t take them.
He again went back into the other room. I remembered I
had a knife in my pocket. I asked Alicia to take it out of my
pocket and cut the ropes.
When I was free I went after the robbers. I went to find
them. One of them was busy on the house phone. I saw a
large stick and picked it up.
I took the stick and hit him hard against his head. I hid
behind the door when the second robber came in. I hit
him behind his head too and tied them up.
I untied Alicia and her family. Her dad called the police.
They came right away. They asked who had caught the
thieves and Alicia’s dad said I did.
They didn’t understand, so I explained that they would give
a reward to the person who caught the thieves, not to the
person who would put them in jail.
I took the reward and gave it to charity. I also made the
robbers my own personal butlers. They each had a collar
around their necks so if they tried to steal anything the
collar would set off an alarm.
A couple of days after that the holidays were over and
I asked Alicia how she felt about the robbery and she said
that her best friend caught two most wanted men.
This is my most memorable experience.
The best one actually. The one where I
became a HERO!!
The End
Thato Mpapa
St Augustine Primary
Grade 6
12 years old
This is an awesome story written
by an awesome author. It is a
book about a camp that was
cancelled because of Vuyolwethu’s
irresponsible deeds. Sit back
and enjoy the magical moments
brought by magical Thato.
F
inally the moment arrived! We were in a bus heading to
Kimberley. We were going to a camp that would last for
three days.
The bus was very noisy as people were singing, shouting
and talking. We made so much noise that the bus driver
got furious and started yelling at us. After the bus driver
got back to his seat, a large shadow of silence fell over the
bus. Nosipho who couldn’t live without the sound of music
put on her earphones and slept.
After a few hours we stopped at a refreshment area and
refreshed ourselves. Soon after, we got back to the bus
and drove off. After sometime I realised that Nosipho was
missing! She must have been left at the refreshment area.
I quickly sprang up and shouted, “Stop, stop Nosipho is
missing!” Nosipho’s mother got such a fright that she too
sprang up and started shouting. The bus driver, who was a
grumpy old man once again got out of his seat and started
telling how uncaring and how unkind we were. After the
long speech we finally drove back to the refreshment area,
which was approximately 15 km from where we were.
When we arrived at the refreshment area, I saw Nosipho
curled up in a small ball and crying. When she saw us,
she bawled louder and did not make any effort to get
into the bus. Nosipho got on board and started telling
us a long story of what happened. The story was so long
and unexciting that I started feeling gloomy and sleepy.
Unexpectedly I fell asleep.
After a long, exhausting journey, we finally reached
Kimberly. The camping area was a huge, grassy field
without any street lights.
There was a lot of work to be done. Firstly we had to
remove the grass in the area where we would place our
tent. While we worked peacefully I suddenly heard a loud
voice shouting, “A snake, a venomous one!”
Suddenly there was a great chaos as people were running
away. But then I heard another voice saying, “It was a pipe!”
People let out great sighs of relief.
Soon after this we put up our tent. That was really hard. It
took us hours. Eventually our tent was up, but it was not
stable. Our instructor said that we should get in it because
we could not make any difference as it was getting dark.
In the middle of the night we saw lightning and then
we heard a loud crash of thunder. Unexpectedly there
was a storm and strong winds arose. Our tent began to
swing side to side and finally it fell. The pole which held
up the tent fell and hit Refilwe on her forehead. Refilwe
gave out a loud sigh of pain and started calling for help.
Mrs Mdimbaza woke up immediately and called the
ambulance. Unfortunately there was no signal so we
couldn’t get hold of the ambulance.
We sprang up and woke other campers begging for help.
Soon the whole camp was up and rushing to help us.
A qualified first aider helped Refilwe.
The following morning, all the campers were called to a
meeting. When we arrived at the meeting we were told
that the camp would be cancelled as Refilwe’s injury was
very serious. All the campers growled and complained, but
they did it in vain. The next morning we once again got on
board and headed to Cape Town.
Nikita Robinson
Symphony Primary
Grade 6
12 years old
Chapter 1
My name is Olivia Smith. I live with my parents and my
older brother. Up until a month ago I was a normal college
student studying to become a successful dentist. Then a
very tragic thing happened, that I will never forget.
This story is about a young girl
named Olivia Smith. She tells us
how she gets kidnapped and
how she felt during this whole
experience. She also mentions the
good things that came out of this
horrible experience.
A month ago I was kidnapped. I was tortured and held
captive for seven days. On the eighth day I escaped. I ran as
fast as I could to the nearest police station. The experience
that I had was horrible, and after that my life was forever
changed.
Chapter 2
My mom and I went to the mall. As usual we went our
separate ways. When I was done buying the things
I needed, I went to look for her. While I was trying to
phone her a man approached me and held a gun to my
side. He told me if I said anything he would shoot me.
I was very afraid!
The man told me to walk out of the mall and towards a car.
He tied me to the seat and took away my phone. He also
put a blindfold on my face. We drove for about half an hour
and then we suddenly stopped. We had stopped in front
of a house with a lot of gates and locks. He took me into
the house. I heard a lot of gates and locks open. I did not
know what was going on around me, but I heard voices
and sounds.
Chapter 3
When the kidnapper took the blindfold off I looked into
his eyes and saw hatred. I felt so terrified! I observed my
surroundings and I saw another girl also tied to the wall.
I tried to speak to speak to her and said, “What is your
name?” She looked at me and whispered “Jill is my name
and I have also just arrived at this place.” I then told her
what I felt in my heart at that moment, and we shared
emotions. Jill and I developed a great relationship during
those few hours. After that the kidnapper walked in. We
were very quiet. We kept still.
Chapter 4
When the kidnapper came in, he tortured us for seven days
without stopping. He kicked us, hit us and also raped us. By
the eighth day I was beaten very badly, but I had not given
up hope.
At the end of the day Jill and I found a way to escape
and ran as fast as we could to the nearest police station.
The police officers let us write a statement and then took
us home to our families. We were very happy to see our
families again.
Chapter 5
After this experience I have become a successful detective.
Jill and I also travel around the world spreading our
message as motivational speakers. I teach everyone I know
to be careful and alert.
I would not change what happened to me because it
made me a better person and it taught me to appreciate
life more. It also brought me closer to my family and
friends. I also gained a wonderful best friend named Jill
who would catch a grenade for me. Even if the kidnapper is
not caught, I still forgive him and I hope that God will too.
Jill and I also encourage people to live every day like it’s
their last.
A visit to the museum
Zethu Ndleleni
Liwa Primary
Grade 5
11 years old
A visit to the museum with
my family and friends was
an eye opener. We learnt a
lot of historical facts which
I cannot forget and helped
me to accept other
culture without
reservations.
For my family, school and friends whose contribution
cannot be measured in monetary terms.
On the 16 December 2013, exactly at sunrise, my mother
told us to prepare and go to the Museum of
Science and Technology. Everyone was excited
by such good news in the morning. We quickly
bathed. My cousin who normally complains
when it comes to bathing never grumbled on
this day. After breakfast we drove in my father’s car.
It was in summer and it was very hot. We saw a shop
that sold ice-cream. One ice-cream was R1. Each
person got an ice-cream, which was delicious, before
we continued.
The children in the car were hungry so we went to
Hungry Lion. When we arrived at Hungry Lion, we
ordered meat, potato chips with tomato sauce and
some sweets. After eating lunch at Hungry Lion we
got inside the car. On our way we met my father’s
friend.
His family also wanted to visit the museum of Science
and Technology, but there was no space in our car.
We decided to go in groups using my father’s friend’s car.
As we approached the museum of Science and
Technology, we got so excited. We were eager to see
interesting things. At the museum there were lots of
people, children and cars. We found a space to park our car
after a long time. Our parents left us in the car while they
went to buy tickets.
We continued looking at the beautiful interesting things.
We saw San people’s drawings on rocks. Our tour-guide,
Sindi, gave us a lot of information about San things.
She seemed to have lived with the San. We enjoyed her
company. Sindi explained that the pictures show San
people hunting animals, collecting wild plants for food and
for medicine. The San people were hunter-gatherers who
lived in caves. San people were nomadic.
There was a long queue. We were hungry so we took
some food to eat. We waited what seemed a year before
my cousin’s mother came to fetch us. We were so happy to
get inside the museum. I realised that the museum
was very big.
Inside the museum we first saw clay pots that San people
used long ago. The clay pots were red, black and
yellow. My mother advised us to learn and
understand that the San used them.
My cousin is naughty
and did not want to
listen. She got lost
while playing with a
new friend she met
there. When we realised
that she was lost we
all panicked and started
looking for her. We finally
found her crying by the security
room after 20 minutes and
everyone was happy to see her.
I also learnt that San people were creative and painted
on rocks. Most of their drawings have animals and people
hunting. They used different colours to draw like red, white,
black and yellow.
The San painters used tiny brushes made of feathers stuck
onto the end of reeds. We saw a plant called Hoodia.
They were using Hoodia to stop thirst and hunger when
hunting.
We also learnt a lot of information about skeletons of
animals and people. We saw a skeleton of a dog and
a dinosaur. We learnt that dinosaurs ate leaves and lived
on earth long ago, but now are extinct.
When Sindi was talking my silly cousin was also talking.
My father said, “Hei! Stop talking, you are making noise.” My
cousin did not listen to that and her mother said, “I will lock
you inside the car if you make noise again,” she said angrily.
My cousin was scared to be locked inside the car and she
kept quiet.
I was surprised to see a man carrying two spiders. My
little cousin was afraid and she ran to her mother crying.
Everyone laughed. My parents left us at the museum while
they went to organise a venue for my sister’s birthday
party. All of us were in the dark about this. After some time
my parents came back and asked us to go to the car. We
thought we were going home. We were surprised to find a
table set for us at Spur.
We also found a birthday cake with my sister’s name
written on top. That cake was my sister’s dream cake. It
had a beautiful doll in the middle. She was very excited to
see her birthday celebrated at Spur. Everyone started to
respect my sister. My silly cousin thought there would be
no celebration. She thought we were going back home.
We wanted to play at the playing-room and we were given
permission. We were jumping on the jumping castle. It was
fun! There were lots of games like play station, jumping
castle, fun horse and climbing mountain. I mostly played at
the climbing mountain. My sisters liked playing at the fun
horse and my cousins at the jumping castle. While we were
playing we heard my mother calling us and we ran to her.
We found the table set with delicious food. Sweets and
dessert came later. We sang a birthday song and we were
happy. My sister blew candles and clapped hands. Our
parents told us to wear our shoes. Photos were taken for
remembrance. They put pieces of cake in tupperware
containers. After eating we put left overs in take-away
containers and we went to play. It was long before our
parents called us.
We first made a queue to take our party packets. Inside
the party packets were lollipops, chips (simba), chocolate
biscuits and sweets. We went to the car and took our seats.
Others started to eat their party packets. On our way we
saw a gigantic house and Tata Madiba’s statue. It reminded
me of the sacrifices he made for us and a better South
Africa. “REST IN PEACE TATA.”
On the street it was very quiet. We first dropped
my father’s friend’s car and family and we took our
car. We went to buy petrol for our car. We
saw a shop that was selling cheap food
and sweets. I went there to buy some
food to eat while driving.
We dropped our cousins and
proceeded home.
I can hardly forget that day. It was very exciting
and I wish it can be repeated again!!
My biggest fear I ever
overcame
Aakifah Dantie
Accordian Street Primary
Grade 6
11 years old
Aakifah had to overcome her
biggest fear, she wasn’t up for, so
her dad told her a little white lie
to say they were going on holiday.
They did in fact go on holiday, but
read her story to find out where it
ends…
O
n the 5th of December 2013, my biggest fear
I thought I would never face was bungee jumping.
I feared this hobby, because it looks scary and creepy to
jump off a bridge between the mountains with a rope tied
around your ankles, but I was all wrong…
My family knew how much I feared and disliked this hobby,
so they planned and organized a family road trip. We then
went to a guest house near Table Mountain’s peak top. Once
we were settled in, my father showed me a bucket list for
what we were going to do the next day. There were lots of
fun and exciting activities to do. He also said that once we
are done they had a surprise, which was for me. I then felt
very special and very excited. My father told us to get a good
night’s sleep to be ready for tomorrow.
The next morning, we woke up and immediately got ready
for the big day. We rushed through the activities just to get
to my surprise. “Right, we’re done!” they said.
I was now really scared and overwhelmed all at the same
time. We took a cable car up to Table Mountain, and what a
spectacular sight it was, with beautiful birds flying around
on our way up to the mountain. When we reached our
destination, I was lost, but then I saw a huge sign which said
“Bungee jumping”. “To-do,” they said, laughing and giggling.
I was still lost, but then I realized that this was my surprise.
They forced me into jumping and once I was strapped up,
I saw the people who jumped screaming and they looked
frightened. I was really scared now and it felt as if there were
butterflies in my stomach.
“Come on, this way!” said a very friendly bungee guide. I then
knew that there was no turning back now. Once I jumped,
I screamed and shouted until I couldn’t move my mouth. It
was the most scary thing I have ever done. It felt like I was
going to bang against the narrow and small mountains
below.
When they unstrapped me below, I was furious at my
family, but once I cooled down I thanked them for helping
me overcome my biggest fear. When I looked up and saw
from where I jumped, I couldn’t believe I was that brave and
daring to jump. My parents were very proud of me and they
couldn’t stop laughing at how scared I was before I had to
jump.
We watched the video film and laughed, I was like, “Can
we do this again some time?” It feels like I’m now in love
and addicted to bungee jumping. And when I made that
compliment my father’s response was, “Darling, Christmas
only comes once a year,” and I was like, “Oh come on, now
I have to wait another year to go bungee jumping?”
It was the most beautiful, memorable day of my life. It was
definitely my biggest fear I overcame.
An inspirational person
Andrea Fritz
West End Primary
Grade 6
11 years old
Chapter 1
I grew up in a big family full of influential people. If I had
to choose the one who influences me the most it would
have to be my uncle/pastor. His name is Dean John Herold.
When I was five years old, at my uncle’s church, we had
Sunday school where they taught us to recite all the
books of the Bible. Me, as the youngest, my uncle was so
impressed that he let me recite it in church.
My uncle used to preach on the radio on occasional
Monday mornings. He took me with him one Monday
morning where I recited it live over the radio. At that time
I was in Grade R, and my teacher asked us if we knew
any stories out of the Bible. I then told my teacher that
I did not know any Bible stories but I knew
the books of the Bible. She then asked me
what the books of the Bible were and after
reciting it out of my head she was
so impressed that she took
me to the principal’s office
where I had to recite it again.
Chapter 2
When I was in Grade 1 at the end of the first term my
teacher informed my parents that I was struggling with
my literacy. The following Sunday our Pastor said: “I need
to bless all the children.” He prayed for all the children
and then prophesied over my life that God bless me with
intelligence. We did not think much of it and went on as
usual. At the end of the second term my teacher informed
my parents that I was excellent in my schoolwork. At the
end of the year I received a diploma for Literacy. Every year
after that I received more diplomas. In Grade 3, I wrote
a Conquesta and I received one diamond and two
platinum awards. In Grade 4 I wrote the Conquesta again
and received three diamonds, two gold and one silver
award. My name also appeared in the Principal’s Message
to the whole school and if I ever struggled with my
schoolwork my uncle was just a phone call away.
Chapter 3
In 2013, we were having church in a
building that we were hiring. My uncle
then told us that he wanted to buy our own
church building. He found a building
that he wanted to buy and went to the
auction. Even though he had no money,
the bidding ended at one million rand.
When my uncle informed the people
that he had no money they were furious, but he
informed them that he would have the money and
today he is the proud owner of the building and also
opened a crèche in January. He employed four people at
the crèche which means he is a job creator. The crèche fees
are also the lowest in the area which means that my uncle
also cares about the community and their needs.
Chapter 4
What also inspires me about my uncle’s life story is the fact
that he was a freedom fighter in the apartheid years. He
was detained for fourteen days in Victor Verster prison, the
same prison where Nelson Mandela was released from.
When I passed Grade 4 my uncle advised my parents to
put me into a better school. Most of the schools my
parents found, the school fees were too much and my
parents then put me into West End Primary. In Grade 5
I received three diplomas and in Grade 6 I received a
gospel BID for doing the best in maths in the first term.
Every year, my uncle prays for the school students and I
believe that it is that prayer that carries us through the
exams. With all these brave things that my uncle has been
doing he is influencing me so much that I want to be an
influential person just like him one day.
How my brother died
Zuhairah Safodien
Summit Primary
Grade 6
12 years old
This story is about how my brother
died. I will tell you everything in
the story.
I
t was one cold dark night when my oldest brother was at
his friend’s house playing PlayStation games. When he was
done playing he told his friend that he was getting very
bored and that he was going to visit his girlfriend and his
two children. His friend said it was okay, because he was also
getting bored of playing PlayStation games. So, he went to
visit his children and his girlfriend.
While he was walking to his girlfriend’s house one of his
other friends mugged him. They took his black, silver and
blue cellphone and more of his personal belongings. The
guy shot him once in his stomach. One of my mom’s friends
immediately called my mother.
That night my mother was looking and looking for a driver
to take my brother to hospital. My brother was laying in the
cold, cold field for about an hour when a man
drove past. He saw him laying there covered
in blood. He quickly jumped out of his car and
immediately took my brother to hospital.
The hospital got my mother’s number somehow
and called my mother again to tell her that my brother
was in hospital. My mother rushed to hospital because
she finally found a driver. This was like 22:00 or 23:00 in the
night. Before she went to hospital she quickly called her
friend to look after me because I was still young that time.
I obviously was too young to be all alone at home. The
hospital was very near to our house so my mother could
get there very quickly. That night my mother even slept at
the hospital. I don’t even think my mother ate that night.
My brother’s funeral was the next day.
A lot of people came to my brother’s funeral the next day.
It was a really, really sad day for all of us. My mother could
not stop crying that day. She was crying so much that day
that the people even had to give her some sugar water.
My brother’s baby boy turned a few months old so his
mother gave out some party packets to the children in our
neighbourhood. The next day a lot of people asked my
mother what she was going to do to the guy who killed
my brother. My mother said that she was going to leave
him in God’s hands.
I feel really, really sorry for my brother’s two children. They
don’t really remember their real father because they were
still really young when their father died.
When I ask them if they miss their father, the girl, his
daughter, will say yes she misses him very much. If I asked
the boy if he misses his father he would not know what
I was talking about. I first had to remind him what I was
talking about then he will say yes he misses his father.
This is my sad story about how my brother died.
One night alone
Ju-ché Arendse
Watsonia Primary
Grade 6
11 years old
Once there was young girl
whose parents are invited to her
grandparents. Her grandparents
and parents went on a social visit
so she was left behind. Something
really spooky happened to her. If
you want to know what it is, read
the story…
Based on a true story. Enjoy.
The ghost is near
But don’t fear
The coast is clear
M
y grandparents invited us (me and my parents) to a
weekend on the farm nearby Wolseley. There are a lot
of trees around the house and nearby was an old graveyard
where they buried the first owners of the farm.
On the day that we got there my grandpa took me to the
graveyard and showed me around while he was telling
me stories about the first family that lived there on that
farm. I enjoyed it. After that we went back home and I went
straight to my room to unpack.
Later that day my parents and grandparents went to
their friends for a social visit and I was left alone at home.
I decided to take a shower, and after that I went to watch
television. Suddenly I got a feeling that someone was
watching me. At first I thought I was just being paranoid
because I was alone.
Then I heard a noise in the kitchen. Like someone was busy
washing dishes. I switched off the TV because I wanted
to make sure that I was not imagining things. But I wasn’t;
I could hear it loud and clear, that someone was busy
cleaning the kitchen. That moment I was just sitting there
too scared to get up and take a look. After a while I got
up really slowly and quietly on my toes and I went to the
kitchen. That moment I was just sitting there too scared
to go up. I went to the kitchen to see for myself what was
going on because I knew that I was supposed to be alone
in the house.
When I got to the kitchen everything
was fine and there was no one there.
Then just when I wanted to laugh at
myself for being scared, I heard another
noise coming from the living room, and then
I decided to go and see what was going on and when
I got there the fire burned in the fire place. I knew there
wasn’t a fire burning when I was watching TV, and I got
really scared and started to shout out loud that if there
was anyone in the house with me they must come out
immediately because it’s not funny what’s going on.
There was no one. After that I decided to go to my room
and call my parents to tell them what’s going on but they
didn’t believe me and said I was just being paranoid. They
said that I must stop watching TV that time of night and go
to bed. And so I did!
It was quiet for a while and suddenly I could hear footsteps
coming straight to my bedroom door. There I was lying in
bed watching the door, waiting for someone to open it.
Then I was starting to cry and covered my head with the
blankets. I was really scared that moment. Then the door
opened. There it was ... A black figure stood in the doorway.
I was crying very loud this time and praying at the same
time. My head was now fully covered.
Then suddenly my phone rang and it was my parents
calling to ask me if I was still fine and I was crying that there
was someone in my bedroom. My mother then told me
that I must ask who he or she was and what they wanted
from me, but when I lifted my head there was nothing
and my bedroom was closed. I got up when my parents
wanted me to open the door for them and everything
looked fine. It was like I dreamed the whole thing. I told my
parents and grandparents what happened and everyone
laughed except my grandpa. He
told me that I must not be
afraid next time because
it’s the daughter’s spirit of
the first owners that was
there to protect me. I said,
“No, no, no, there will not be a
next time,” and I slept next to my
mother that night and the rest of
the weekend.
Shirley’s secret
Megan Steyn
Brooklands Primary
Grade 6
12 years old
The Alinel jewel is known for
breaking the curse of the Firand
Pack. Shirley is the last relative
of the pack and it is up to her
to break the curse for five of her
dead relatives to be resurrected.
The jewel also cures ill people
once every full moon. The mayor
of Highrend Town plans to use
the jewel to cure the illness of his
loving spouse, Inica. Who gets the
jewel first to break the curse or
cure an illness?
Chapter 1
Shirley’s mission
Shirley Barklay, a 31-year-old, had recently moved to
Highrend Town. Shirley inherited her parents’ mansion, The
Oakland Mansion. The Oakland Mansion is situated in the
Oakland Cemetery. As Shirley entered the mansion, the
maids ran to carry Shirley’s luggage to her room. They all
greeted each other as they walked into the lounge. Shirley
sat down on the dusty sofa, while searching around the
room. She got up and started to chant, “Letter, where is
that letter?”
At last she found a creased, torn page with a very untidy
but legible handwriting on it, between two books. Shirley
read aloud:
Dear Shirley
You are the last of the Fidrand Pack and it is up to
you to break the Alinel jewel to break the curse. In the
meantime, you need to keep in touch with me and to
do so, request a witch and give her my ash. She will
know what to do.
Your mother,
Debora
Chapter 2
Finding Debora’s ash
Shirley said to herself: “Where do I find Mum’s ash and
a witch?”
She soon asked the maids where her father, Mike, had put
her mum’s ash. The maid who came out of the kitchen with
the refreshment answered, “Shirley, your father put the ash
in our haunted attic.” Shirley stood up and calmly walked
to the attic as if she knew the mansion her entire life, even
though she was new to it.
She walked into the storeroom along the passage to the
attic and came out with a bright flashlight. Once she
was in the attic, the light beam of her flashlight came
across a shadow that was not hers. She got a fright and
when taking a second glance at where the shadow was
spotted, she became even more frightened to see that
the shadow disappeared into thin air. She ignored what
she had just seen and looked into the corners of the attic
to see where the ash had been hidden. She often tripped
over a lot of junk from the 1900s. She found a jar and
knew it was her mom’s ash as she immediately spotted
the R.I.P abbreviation. She instantly ran down the stairs as
if someone was chasing her. She felt the force of someone
pushing her as she tumbled down the stairway. The maids
soon saw her lying on the wooden tiles, motionless. They
carried Shirley to her room and lay her down on the bed so
that she could soon regain consciousness.
Chapter 3
Inica Heffley’s suffering
Chapter 4
Shirley finds a witch
At the exact same time that Shirley fell down, the mayor,
George Heffley, visited his stunning wife, who suffers from
a rare disease.
“Shirley, where shall you be leaving in such a hurry to?”
asked one of the maids.
Inica Heffley is in her early forties. Her son, Zack, also sits
next to her. Mayor Heffley told Zack cheerfully, “ Zack, just
five days until the next full moon. Well, I will go and get the
Alinel jewel for now!”
“Well, I need to find a witch to bring Mum back to life. Do
you have any suggestions on where I might be able to find
one?” replied Shirley.
The maid answered, “Certainly. Fortunately she lives across
the cemetery, three blocks away.”
“Thank you, you are a big help. Love, cancel the cab!” said
Shirley. Shirley left the creepy cemetery with her mom’s
ash, in a hurry. Soon Shirley arrived at the house of the
witch. The house looked demolished, the doorbell was in
pieces and some of the roof tiles were completely broken.
She knocked at the door desperately. Instantly, someone
answered the door.
“No Dad, I will go into town and get the jewel or stone or
whatever, I’m sure it’ll make me feel better,” said Zack.
At the Oakland Mansion, Shirley regains consciousness and
remembers to consult a witch. She jumped out of bed and
ordered a maid to organize a cab.
“Hi, you must be Shirley Barklay, Debora’s daughter. I have
been waiting for your mom’s ash!” said the witch. The witch
grabbed the ash out of Shirley’s hand and shut the door.
Shirley walked away and said to herself sarcastically, “Quite
decent neighbours around here!” She walked into the main
street, which some folks call Highrend’s life. The museum
was quite far from where Shirley was now. It was 8 pm,
which meant that the museum was closed.
Chapter 5
Shirley takes desperate measures
Shirley ran to the back of the museum. She spotted a rock
and banged it against a window with force. She did this
repeatedly until it broke the whole window. Finally, she
was able to sneak in. Shirley had been searching around
the museum for the Alinel jewel for more than two hours.
She saw that one of the containers was covered with a fine,
silky sheet. She pulled it off and saw that the alarm was
attached to the glass container that was holding the jewel
captive. Soon someone else entered the museum. It was
Zack. Shirley hid behind a statue as Zack entered a code
into the alarm, which released the jewel. Zack took the
jewel and put it into a jeweled box. Shirley grabbed one of
the least important ornaments and hit Zack on the head
with it before he could leave. Shirley took the jewel and ran
as fast as she could to get back home.
Chapter 6
Debora returned
She stopped at the witch’s house. Soon she felt her
mother’s presence. She fell down in shock as she saw
her mother.
“Oh, darling don’t be scared, its’ me your mummy!” said
Debora. Shirley gasped, “Mum, it’s really you!”
“Yes, but I am a ghost! Now, we should get inside and break
that jewel!” insisted Debora. Debora floated through the
door to open up for Shirley.
“Once again, I am amazed!” remarked Shirley. “Mum, you do
realize that the Alinel can only be broken on a full moon?”
Shirley said, as she walked inside. “Well, I suppose you’re
right, but your sister wants out right away! And, as you
already know, patience is her weak point,” replied Debora.
At the museum, Zack woke up, remembering nothing
that has recently happened. Zack stood up and noticed
blood on the floor, then he slowly reached up to his head
and hovered over the area where he felt the most pain. He
looked at his hand and saw blood, which meant that he
was badly injured. He walked out of the building and called
for a cab. Zack went home and explained to his father what
had happened and that he couldn’t remember what had
happened to the stone.
“Well, you should land in hospital in an instant due to that
serious injury!” the mayor insisted. “We will have a look at
the scene, in an instant!” the mayor promised. Then he
promised his wife, Inica, that he would bring the jewel
back and cure her at the appearance of the full moon.
The mayor called the police and the police called the
forensic scientists.
Chapter 8
Only four resurrected
When Shirley work up early in the morning, she saw the
full moon, so she got the jewel and threw it hard on the
floor. The jewel broke in half and it turned black. Shirley
said four of the names in her family which she wanted to
be resurrected. She said aloud, “Bring back Debora, Kirsten,
Mike and me!” Instantly, out of the red air, four people
appeared. Then Kirsten questioned, “What about the fifth
person, Shirley?”
Chapter 7
Shirley becomes a suspect
They all gathered at the scene of the crime and started to
investigate. One of the scientists looked at the weapon and
said that it would be possible to identify the fingerprints
and find whom it belongs to. It was three days away from
the appearance of the full moon when they finally got
the results. They called the mayor and told him that the
suspect is Shirley Barklay and that they would find out
everything about her. They also mentioned that they
needed to make sure all facts are true, which took two
days. The mayor was relieved and also very disappointed
that there was only one day to cure his wife. In the
Oakland Mansion, Shirley suggested that they break the
jewel immediately when the moon appeared early in the
morning. Debora disappeared after mentioning that she
would go to break the delightful news to Kirsten, Shirley’s
young sister.
Chapter 9
Shirley’s secret becomes exposed
At the exact same time, the police broke in and only
arrested Shirley. They held her captive for fifteen minutes
and soon questioned her. The last question they asked her
was why she did everything. After forty-five minutes of
questioning and answering, Shirley’s secret was completely
exposed. The mayor showed Shirley how badly his wife
was suffering and the serious injury that his son received,
all thanks to her.
“For that, you shall go to jail,” said the mayor furiously.
Shirley asked him if she could make a deal with him. She
told him that there was a little power left in the jewel,
enough to cure his wife. She continued and said she would
only give him the power if he wouldn’t send her to jail.
Since the mayor was desperate to save Inica, he agreed
right away. Later that day, Inica was cured and Zack’s injury
was healed a bit. Shirley was happier than ever. The town’s
latest gossip was all about what had happened that week.
Shirley had no secret to keep now; everybody
knew about it.
When grandma died …
Michaela Esau
Beacon View Primary
Grade 6
11 years old
Introduction
How could this happen? I can’t believe it. This is what
I always feared. Now I’m sitting wondering what would
have happened if she was here. She would’ve shown me
love. She always said, “Madison, believe in yourself.” When
I came from school she would say, “Do your homework
immediately.”
One day as I came from school, my mother waited for me.
She had a worried look on her face. What was happening?
I always dreamt that this day would never come. My
mother told me we must hurry home. I asked her for a
reason but she didn’t reply.
When I arrived home, I saw a van with paramedics. I went
inside the house, then into the room, then I found out.
Chapter 1 • Finding out
I was shocked. I did not know what to do. I felt really sad.
I went to see her. She looked as if she was sleeping. Her
eyes were closed, but she was conscious. I still did not
know anything that had happened, but I knew that she
was not feeling well.
How could it happen? She was in hospital for four days. My
daddy came home and told us that my grandmother has
passed away. I tried to hold back my tears, but they just
slipped out. My daddy was crying and I could not bear to
see him so sad.
I tried to cheer him up, but it did not work. I guess no one
can take his mother’s place.
Chapter 2 • Where’s the old Michael?
My father was never the same again. He was different. He
did things he never did before. I was worried about him.
I started questioning him about this. He told me he missed
his mother and he needed to learn to live without her.
He said it’s difficult to live without a mother. He said I was
lucky to still have a mother. I loved my mother and my
father, but God loved them more. I wanted my dad back.
He’s very different now, but then suddenly it slipped. I told
him that I wanted the old Michael back. He asked me what
I meant. I said, “I want my old dad back, the fun one. The
one who loves playing; but lately you changed.” He told
me that it would take a while before he became his old
self. I was worried about him because I missed him.
I missed her too.
Chapter 3 • How we waited
The Monday we tried finding a cemetery for her, but
everything was booked up, so we waited till the next week.
We buried her the next Saturday. We felt very sad. They
played ‘You raised me up’. I kept thinking about her and
when I touched her she felt ice-cold, lifeless. I really, really
miss her. I wish I could have done something about her
illness. I want to know what or who caused her death. I’ve
been investigating her death. I’ve been on that case for a
long time. I found very little information about her death.
I wonder what really happened, or who killed her?
I wanted to know. Did she die of a natural cause? She was
an emotional person. She always asked me to do things
for her like clean the kitchen, clean her room, make her tea
and also be successful in school.
I wanted her by my side so I’m investigating more on that
case now. I looked for people she knew and they gave
different stories. Some of them told me she was a bad
person. Of course I did not believe them because of the
way she treated me.
Chapter 4
I looked all over and had some DNA done. I found one
small piece of red hair on the clothes she had on that day.
She had black and grey hair. So I thought about one lady
that had problems with my grandma. She has red hair.
Oh I hate that lady. I suspect that she killed my grandma.
I was angry and I went to her house and acted all nice
to her and while she wasn’t watching I put sleeping pills
in her juice. As soon as they dissolved I was gone. I went
home and told my mom because when I got there I saw
thick sellotape with black hair and she was busy ditching
the evidence. She had a weird look on her face. I then
decided to tell. I wouldn’t have told my mom.
I am accusing her and I know she did it. I’m not accusing
her for nothing. I know I’m right.
Chapter 5
The next day I went back to her house, and I saw that the
tablets worked. She was fast asleep like a little baby. Then
I saw a magnifying glass which was exactly what I needed.
I took it and started investigating.
Then I found another piece of black hair. Then I took it for a
DNA test. The test results were different from the last test.
I was even angrier at the end of the test. I wanted proof
once and for all that she killed my grandmother, but how.
How would I be able to prove it with all this black hair? I’ll
keep doing my thing. Trying to nail her, but she is a clever
one. I need to try harder. I have to outsmart her. I’ve been
trying my best. I’ll try the best I can.
I’ve got my next great plan. I know what I’m doing. I could
not sleep. I was waiting for dawn. I kept my plan in mind.
I’m waiting for tomorrow.
Chapter 6 • Game on!!!
Dawn came. I hid behind her house till she left for work.
When she left I went inside. I looked around the house.
I found something astonishing. I found my grandmother’s
bracelet. The one she got for her birthday. She had it on the
night of my cousin’s birthday.
The next day she landed in hospital. I was so shocked.
I worked on the plan I had the day before. It worked out
great. I took all the valuables and hid them. Then I took
the bracelet and found her fingerprints on the DNA for
the bracelet.
I went back to her house, and found more belongings
of my grandmother. Then I heard the sound of a key in
the door. I hid under a bed in her house. She saw that
the bracelet was missing. I was hiding under the bed in
her room!
After she saw that the bracelet was missing she went
straight to her room and into her jewellery box. She saw
that all her jewellery was missing.
Chapter 7
She saw something shiny, and that was her small earring.
Then she bent down to pick it up, and it was right next to
the bed. As she bent down, she looked under her bed for
more jewellery. I was clever enough, and I put a suitcase in
front of myself.
As she looked for more jewellery, she tried moving the
suitcase. Then suddenly she heard a knock on the door. It
was a lady. This lady had a lot of weapons on her. The lady
sold one of the weapons to Alexa – that was the suspect’s
name. She bought a heavy lump of metal.
She ordered a guy to help her take it in her secret passage.
There was a room. A dark room. She opened the door and
let him in. Then she locked the door and talked to the lady
with the weapons. Then she bought a lock for the room.
She put a code on the lock. I looked closely, but I couldn’t
figure it out. She left the house and took her car and drove
away. So I got out.
Chapter 8 • Got it!!!
The next day I went to her house again with my plan
figured out. I slipped in while she was there. I hid in her
closet. I watched her, closely. She packed her lunch and got
ready for work. She asked some guys to lift up the lump of
metal. They put it in her car.
I thought for a short time. That’s it! She works at a factory
that manufactures weapons using metal. She left the door
open. She left for work. I went in. I saw the whole room
full of weapons, different weapons. They were labelled for
each use. The weirdest thing was that all the weapons were
brand new. It seems like they came from the factory where
she was working. I looked very closely and saw that one
was already used. I took it carefully and looked at it. It also
came from the factory where she was working.
Chapter 9 • Investigating
I went back home and thought what it would mean if she
had a used weapon. Was she a murderer or was it a onetime thing? I took the weapon with me, hoping that she
wouldn’t see that it was gone. I looked at it closely, but I
couldn’t find any evidence to use.
Chapter 10 • Innocence
I went back home. I thought and thought. I couldn’t figure
it out. Why would two people kill one person? I was very
confused. Then I found out. They didn’t kill her. They never
killed anybody. I was wrong.
The reason why she had a room full of weapons was that
she had a husband. Her husband was in the army. She kept
his weapons for him. She was innocent.
The guy who had the whole house full of weapons was
a dreamer. He dreamt of being in the army. That’s why he
had all the weapons. He was innocent too.
I was wrong. My grandmother died of natural causes.
The end.
I took it to the lab and had some DNA tests done. The
results came back. There was a fingerprint on the gun
but it wasn’t Alexa’s. I felt so irritated. They found a guy’s
fingerprints. I found some details about the guy. Then
I found out that this guy works at the same factory.
He was the guy who helped her with her metal. I found a
picture of him. It showed his address. The next day I went
to his house. It looked like a nice cosy home from the
outside. When I slipped inside I was surprised. His house
was full of weapons. They were everywhere. In the kitchen,
in the bathroom, everywhere. Luckily he wasn’t at home.
So I investigated.
The odds of a single parent
Kyle Ruiters
Bellville South Primary
Grade 6
12 years old
Chapter 1 • My mother’s dark baby days
My mother’s baby days were not easy. My grandma was
an alcoholic. She grew up in an unstable environment. She
saw many drunk people gallivanting in the house, yard and
street. Some days looked worse than others. My grandma
did not care about my mother’s well-being. When my
grandma was drunk and became aggressive, my mother
knew that she had to keep her mouth, so that she could be
A riveting story told of a woman
who has endured many difficulties
and hardships. She’s a domestic
worker and she lost her husband
in 2008. This story can teach you a
lesson that no matter what you’ve
been through, you have
to persevere if life gives you
too many blows.
Contents
1 My mother’s dark baby days
2 A single parent
3 Her tragedies
4 My inspiration
the better person. My mother is fair-skinned. The children
joked and laughed about it. They bullied her as well as her
two sisters. They called my mother “Barbie”. After school,
the children would pull my mother’s hair. Antoinette, my
mother’s other sister, would tell my mother to hit them.
One afternoon, when they wanted to hurt Barbie again,
Antoinette said: “Let’s go.” Barbie was astonished to see that
Antoinette could talk like that in front of the “Big Bosses” of
the school.
Chapter 2 • A single parent
My mother is a single parent. It’s not easy to play the
role of a father and a mother. Hardships and difficulties
have crossed my mother’s path many times but it made
her a stronger person. My mother is a domestic worker.
We may not have much, but there’s always food on the
table. She told me that no matter what I come across or
experience, there’s always a reward at the end. She said:
“No matter how dark days seem to be or actually are,
there’ll always be something in you that will be superior to
your circumstances.” I’ll always cherish our moments and
our day-to-day talks. She always advises me to do the right
things. One of her difficulties was that she had to deal with
the death of her husband and her mother. Eventually she
took control and she knew that she had to work hard to
provide for her children.
Chapter 3 • Her tragedies
My mother has been through a lot. When my grandma died
of cancer it was like my mother’s dreams were shattered.
A teacher in Belhar adopted my mother. She stayed there till
she was twenty-five years old. Then she found her prince on
a white horse. They were married for eleven years. Tragically,
he died on the 10th of August 2008. We were still four very
small children when my father died. That was when my
mother’s depressive problems started. What I admire
about her is that she went for psychological help. Her
braveness means a lot to me. Now let me share a bit of my
life experience. Your tragedies make you stronger. When
my father died my mother had to make provision for four
children. She knew that jobs are scarce, but she promised
us that we’d never go to bed without food. About five years
ago my mother felt lonely and meaningless.
She realised that there was no reason to dwell in the past
because she’ll spend her life in the future.
Chapter 4 • My inspiration
My mother has an extraordinary personality. If you meet
her you will always see a smile on her face. She has this
glow in her eyes that no one can resist. She told us to never
patronize people because she knows how it feels to make
people feel that they are stupid. She truly inspires me with
her valuable advice. Thank you for enduring all that pain
and difficulties. I don’t know where I would be without
you. Thank you, sincerely. You really are my inspiration.
You are a star.
Spy Mission
Jesse Nyman
Steenberg Primary
Grade 5
9 years old
Spy Mission is about a girl named
Lucy who is a professional snitch.
Her job is to kill Nectar, her boss’s
enemy. While trying to poison
Nectar, her cover was blown when
Nectar’s wife, Sarah, caught her.
Chapter 1 • The Plan
10 June was a cold night. I was in the woods spying on my
boss’s enemy, talking to my boss through my Bluetooth
earpiece: “I am at the door.” Knock! Knock! Nectar opened
the door. “Good evening, Sir. I am Lucy and I am in
desperate need of a place to stay. My car broke down and
I have nowhere to go.” “Sure,” said Nectar. “Please do come
in. I will ask my wife to prepare a room for you.”
Wednesday morning, only two hours after I fell asleep,
I woke up and had to contact my boss. I knew Nectar’s
plans as he was discussing them with his bodyguards
throughout the night. I emailed my boss from my phone
which I had hidden in my left calf boot I was wearing.
“The deal is going down tomorrow. Worth R17 000 000.
He is the kingpin.”
My boss replied: “Kill him. I will take care of the money.”
Chapter 2 • The Plot
Wednesday afternoon Nectar’s wife Sarah prepared the
most awful lunch. “I just lost R17 000 000!” Nectar told
his wife as he sat down to eat. “I will find the snitch and
kill him.”
I now knew that I had to complete my
mission and fast.
Barry, the assassin, arrived late afternoon as
I e-mailed him. Nectar went to his study and
Barry shot Nectar just as planned, however,
Barry missed and shot him in his leg instead.
Nectar was rushed to the hospital. His bodyguards now were
more alert than ever. I had to get rid of Nectar as my job was
on the line.
Chapter 3 • Pills
I hate the smell of hospitals, but this was my final chance to
get rid of Nectar. Sarah asked me to accompany her. I was
going to poison him. Sarah casually mentioned over lunch
that Nectar was allergic to penicillin and I was going to give
him a fatal shot.
Chapter 4 • Pills and Potions
Sarah and I entered Nectar’s room. He was in a deep sleep
as he was given morphine for the pain after the bullet
was removed. I had a syringe filled with penicillin which
a contact of mine slipped into my hand as I entered the
hospital. Sarah had her head in her hands and Nectar was
asleep. Just as I wanted to administer the penicillin into his IV
drip, Sarah lifted her head and caught me. It was now
9 pm and 45 minutes ago since my cover was blown.
I’d been undercover for seven years. My days of being a
snitch are over, and I am on my way to jail.
The jungle chase
Toufeeq Benjamin
Arcadia Primary
Grade 6
11 years old
Daniel and Ally thought that they
would have the time of their lives
on their rich holiday, but their trip
turns upside down when a storm
occurs. Their aeroplane crashes in
a scary jungle. Also, their parents
were kidnapped. They need to find
their parents, but they need to go
undercover. Will they survive in
the big jungle? Will they find their
parents?
Chapter 1 • Going on holiday
“45 minutes ago my cover was blown! They saw us and are
chasing us! I’m scared and don’t know what to do!” This is how
it happened.
One fine morning, in a rich neighbourhood, lived Daniel
and Ally. They lived in a huge home with their very
successful parents. They grew up with the privilege of
luxury and having everything they wanted and needed.
One afternoon, their dad, Jerry, came home from work
with some good news. He called the family together and
said, “We will be going on vacation.” They were so excited
and jumped up and down. They were going to a resort in
Thailand in approximately 3 days. Dad had but another
surprise – he booked a private aeroplane just for the family.
Daniel and Ally were even more excited, because it would
be their first time on an aeroplane.
Daniel and Ally started packing immediately as they heard
the news. They called all their friends and family to tell
them the news.
Chapter 2 • Flight
The day of departure has come for the family.
Daniel and Ally got dressed quickly to go to the
airport. When they arrived at the airport, they
saw different sizes and colours of aeroplanes. Dad
showed them the aeroplane they would be flying
in. They excitedly climbed the steps to get onto the
aeroplane. It looked so awesome inside and they sat
down into their comfortable seats. They then buckled
up as the engine started.
There was a thrill that went through their stomachs as
the aeroplane lifted off into the air. When Daniel and Ally
looked out of the window, they saw that they were actually
in the air. They could see all the different houses and
mountains from up there. The view was really beautiful.
Everything was good and everyone was happy until dark
clouds approached the aeroplane. Everyone became
very scared and started panicking. It looked like they
were flying into a storm. The aeroplane started making
weird sounds and started shaking uncontrollably.
The aeroplane swirled and was going to crash!
There was a huge “bang” and the aeroplane crashed.
There was a lot of smoke. The family had a few minor
injuries as they got out of the crashed aeroplane.
As the smoke cleared, the family had an idea of where they
were. They were stranded in a dark jungle with lots of wild
animals. They were really frightened to hear the roars and
scary sounds of the dangerous animals. Their cell phones
were broken and they didn’t know where to find help.
Chapter 3 • In the jungle
The family decided to take a walk into the jungle to find
help or to find a way out of there. They walked really far
and were tired and thirsty. They finally saw a flowing river
with clear water and the most beautiful waterfall. They
went nearer and drank from the river’s clear blue water.
There was what seemed to look like village right next to
the river. Some of the villagers saw them and alerted the
other villagers. All of a sudden they started chasing them
with anger. They didn’t speak the same language, so they
couldn’t communicate.
Daniel and Ally ran as fast as they could. Their mother and
father struggled to run faster and the villagers caught up
with them. Daniel and Ally were already deep in the jungle
when they realised that their parents were missing. Ally
exclaimed, “Where are Mom and Dad? They are gone!” They
couldn’t see anything as they were surrounded by trees.
What they didn’t know was that the villagers kidnapped
their parents and took them back to the village. Daniel and
Ally were really scared. They were all alone in the deep,
dark jungle. They were running through the jungle,
looking for help, when they saw a village boy.
They weren’t sure if they should approach him
for help or if he would just take them too.
Chapter 4 • Cover is blown
The village boy showed Daniel and Ally where to go. They
went to the village and saw their mom and dad tied up to
a chair. Their parents looked terrified. Daniel and Ally made
up a quick plan. They climbed up a nearby tree to try and
see a way in without the guards knowing.
He saw them and started talking to them. Daniel and Ally
were surprised to hear him speak their language. The
village boy said, “ The villagers took your parents. They
thought that your family wanted to cause harm.” Daniel
said, “We won’t do something like that. Our aeroplane
just crashed here and we were looking for help.” The
village boy said that the villagers wouldn’t believe that.
The village boy said that they would have to rescue their
parents without the villagers seeing. They would have to
go undercover.
Unfortunately, their plan failed and the guards saw them.
Once again they were being chased deep into the jungle.
Then Daniel shouted, “45 minutes ago my cover was
blown! They saw us and are chasing us! I’m scared and
don’t know what to do!” By surprise, the villagers caught
them. They tried running away, but those villagers were
too strong. Daniel and Ally were taken back to the village.
They were put next to their parents. They tried explaining
that they did nothing wrong, but the villagers couldn’t
understand them. Luckily, the village boy came and
helped the family. He explained to the villagers that
it was all a misunderstanding. At last, the villagers
understood and freed the family. Then another huge
problem occurred. How will the family get back home?
There was no type of transportation. They were
stranded there forever!
Then Daniel heard a voice shouting
out, “Daniel, wake up! You are
late for school!” It looks like
Daniel’s jungle adventure was
only a dream! Even though it
was a dream to him, it would
still remain a “jungle chase”!
The old man –
memorable experience
Sabeehah Mullins
Talfalah Primary
Chapter 1
Grade 6
11 years old
Once upon a time there was an old man called John
Hendricks who stayed alone in an old house. He was 41
years old. He used to think that he was the man that had
the most power and was the richest. He was powerfully
built.
This is an inspiring story about how
one must never give up hope in
yourself or others. John Hendricks
commits heinous crimes, but
while doing his time he becomes
a changed man who can face the
world with pride and dignity.
The old man used to go to town to buy groceries. He had
no family, no wife, no kids, no grandchildren. He had only
himself to take care of.
One day after he had done his shopping, he drove to a
school and waited for school to dismiss. He started to bribe
the girls with sweets to get them into the car. They all ran
away. Finally a ten-year-old girl got into the car. He then
drove off with her to a quiet road.
When he came to a stop the girl put up a fight and
managed to get the door open and run for her life. Luckily
the girl could identify her abuser and could tell the police
who the person was that kidnapped her. The old man was
sent to jail for four months.
The four months he spent in prison were rough. The four
months flew by and he was set free. Despite that, the first
thing he did when he was set free was to try to kill
another girl.
The victim was eight years old and he killed her in cold
blood. Her body was dumped in a lake. After her body had
been found the police examined it for DNA evidence.
A piece of hair was found between her fingers. That
evidence led them to the old man.
After appearing in court he was sentenced to five years in
prison. These five years were the worst years of his life. He
was abused by his inmates after they found out what he
had done.
Chapter 2
After two years in prison he started to change his attitude.
He started to help out in the library, helping in the kitchen
and so on. He saw life from a different perspective. After
three years the inmates started to look at him differently.
They started to respect him.
On the 5th of June 1979, John Hendricks was set free after
spending five years in prison. When he stepped out of
prison he was amazed to see that so many things in the
outside world had changed.
One day he took a stroll down to the park. While he was
taking a rest on a bench under a tree he lifted his head and
his last way out was staring him right in his face. It was the
town’s library. As he entered through the door there was a
note saying that they were looking for a librarian. This was a
new start for Hendricks, the loveliest old man he had
ever been.
This man became my best friend.
Having no family, he was all alone and had to start from
scratch. For weeks he was job hunting. As positive as he
was, the outcome was always ‘No’. He was not put down by
this response. He continued to keep his head high.
Young and lost!
Chanelle de Kock
Bellville South Primary
Grade 6
12 years old
Chapter 1 • Back to school
The day started as usual, a
normal school day, going
through the motions of their
daily routine. But so quickly,
the joy can turn into fear.
She walked to school with her bigger sister, Lizelle. As soon
as they got there, Lizelle started yapping about some boy.
Contents
1
2
3
4
5
Back to school
Terror awaits
Truth or die
A brighter day
My mom
As she got out of bed she heard birds singing and she
saw the sun shining beautifully bright. Shannon knew it
would all change to chaos. She got ready for school after
a long vacation.
Shannon said, “Here we go again,” rolling her eyes.
Lizelle said, “I like him but he is so messy.”
The bell rang. Shannon sighed, “Saved by the bell.”
She walked to class. They prayed and sat down. They
got their first break and enjoyed it. They went inside and
waited for the last bell to ring.
Chapter 2 • Terror awaits
When school was out they usually ran home to watch
television, but today they could not. She saw her sister
running towards her. Lizelle was scared and confused.
She wanted to cry. Shannon wanted to laugh, but then…
she heard a gun firing. Her younger brother ran ahead
and was safe. Shannon and Lizelle were in the middle of
chaos. Everywhere they looked they saw fire and children
protesting. It was awful. Policemen were riding tanks,
holding guns and firing.
Lizelle ran with Shannon in her arms into a stranger’s
house. The woman knew what was happening outside.
She said her name was Serena Anderson and she gave
them a place to hide. They got out after the first tank left.
Chapter 4 • A brighter day
Shannon was in class hoping today would be different. After
school she waited for her sister. When she got there they
caught the bus home. They ate, washed and went to bed.
Before Shannon went to sleep, to her surprise Lizelle came
to give her a goodnight kiss and said, “Today was a brighter
day.” She went back to her room and they fell asleep.
Chapter 5 • My mom
I’m proud to call Shannon my mom. I love her so much and
although we have some difficulties, we’re living a fantastic
life together.
One last piece of advice: if you ever consider writing about
your mom. Don’t, because there are three words you’ll hear
for the rest of the year, or even your life: ” WHAT ABOUT
DAD?”
Take my advice!!!
Chapter 3 • Truth or die
Another policeman came and started asking questions like
if they lived there and what school they attended. He left
and Lizelle started to cry. They had no money to go home
and the bus already left. Mrs Anderson gave them some
money for a taxi. They got home and I think you know
what happened next. Their mom was furious and wanted
to explode. They told her what had happened and she
wanted to cry. She was so ashamed of herself for shouting
at them.
no bo Thi
t f ok s
or is
sa
le
.
Children
writing to grow
smart
This collection of stories represents a
sample of the stories written by learners
across the Cape Town Metropole for
the Growsmart writing competition.
Growsmart is a CSI initiative by
Growthpoint Properties Ltd.
The book’s design showcases the writers’
voices through layout and careful use of
their illustrations. These stories share the hopes, dreams
and experiences of a diverse group of
young people.
ISBN 978-1-41544-819-9
9 781415 448199

2014 anthology

Transcription

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